What our eyes didn t miss
by Safis grin
Summary: During their time at the Western air temple, the different individuals of the main party starts to see how Katara and Zuko became closer day by day – it seemed they were the only ones who didn t realize this. (drabbels) R
1. Embrace

Embrace

I had been jealous for my Katara many times before. It was hard for me to feel that we would be having "a moment" - ever. I wanted to be with her. The beautiful dark-skinned girl who took care all of us. Especially me. So why has it started to feel like she was having those moments lately? Just not with me… When I looked Katara circling her arms around Zuko for the first time I felt there was something bad in there, even if I didn´t let it affect my smile. I had wanted her to forgive Zuko, so that was okay, but how is it possible, when you hate someone with so much passion that you can´t even chance the hateful look into a neutral one when seeing them, you suddenly embrace that person the very next day?

It was a short embrace, but I felt I have never waited anything to end for so long. Katara seemed so small pressed against Zuko. First thing that made me uncomfortable was taking notice how she had to rise to the tip of her toes to reach him. No… how Zuko _pulled_ her to the tip of her toes while his hands pressed against her back. _That_ didn´t create an image of mother hugging a child with care. When Katara would embrace me she would always place her head on top of mine and the touch would be light as a feather. It has always been wonderful: I always felt the fragile touch would mean it was special. Like we didn´t need a strong contact because we had a connection much greater. And the light feeling of arms would only highlight it.

But when I watched Zuko to press his arms so strongly around Katara´s frame her clothes and hair seemed crushed beneath the pale firenation skin, all the hugs I had received felt like the air they were.

When the two had made contact, Zuko let out a long sigh. Like he would relax after a great weight had been lifted. Anyone would see it like that, but I couldn´t help but give more meaning to the second before he let out the breath. Probably he had been tense and nervous, but it clearly wasn´t like he had been holding that breath for a long time. No, the smallest movement told me that he took more time taking the air in than letting it out. When Katara´s wild hair was pressed against the side of his face he moved his head slightly and took the deepest breath I have seen. I felt like clenching my fists. Why did he seem so happy? So content? Yes, forgiveness was important, but we all had to do that – why was Katara´s so special to him? Why did it seem like her smile would weight more than any of ours… Had Zuko told everything about the trip or was there something he had decided to keep as a secret?

And then the contact between them ended. I acted ridiculous. My imagination was too great I suppose. Like there would be any meaning behind the act. We all hugged each other now and then. Katara didn´t even look back when she left. But when I turned to Zuko why did it make the pit of my stomach to twist painfully to see _he had_ turned to look after Katara walking away…


	2. The same

The same

It bothered me. Like I could almost see something behind the surface. Okay… maybe I´m not really the best one to "read between the lines", but lately I haven´t been able but notice something was …different. Nothing major, just this _feeling_. Aang had gotten upset again for the fact that he has to crack the Firelord´s head open. His storming away was nothing new. Katara´s going after him was also nothing out of the ordinary. But Zuko reaching for Katara made me question if this was going within the same category of usual…

When Zuko stopped Katara, it might have seemed neutral to the others, but this is my expertise: panic. His voice was slightly tighter and when he told Katara to "let him go", I recognized the source of that tone. Zuko didn´t say it like it would be just what´s best for Aang, but what would be best for him. Like he wasn´t stopping Katara from bothering the airbender, but keeping her here. And as if to secure that his will would be fulfilled, he took physical contact. It took lot of effort to touch her: I wonder if anyone else took notice of the fact that when Katara moved, in our small group Zuko was still sitting farthest from Katara…

Well.. I guess, He had a point when he said that Aang needed to be alone for a while. What actually made me take interest was Katara acting …obedient? Usually no one is to come between her and acting like everyone's mother, but now she just gave one look to Zuko and did what was told. She did what Zuko asked her to, without complaint in the matter of going against her own plan. She stayed put and the two stood there next to each other looking at the direction Aang had stormed off. They just stood there and Zuko didn´t take his hand away from my sister´s skin. When watching them I had to inhale when a realization hit me. The weird feeling that I had taken interest in… I already knew why no one else seemed to see that. I looked at Suki at the corner of my eye and pulled her closer against me. I was the one noticing, because it was familiar to me. It was the same feeling, the same air I had with Suki. And that really bothered me…


End file.
